Wings

A short story that just kind of flowed out of my mind all at once. It is the spiritual successor to another short story I have called "The Forest". Please read and tell me what you think!

Wings

                He was running.

                He ran to get away from it all. He ran to escape the mundane, the mediocre, and the monotonous. He ran with all his might, as fast as he could.

No longer would he stare at the backs of others, struggling to keep up. He ran faster and harder than all the rest, because he had everything to lose. He had long since abandoned the path through the center of the forest. He ran right through the forest, no longer afraid of the darkness, the incessant fog, the ghastly shapes, the barren, dead sky, nor did he fear the ghoulish fingers that reached for him, eager to sink into his flesh and drag his bloody body back to the path, or devour him in this abyss with no light at the end of the tunnel.

The others had told him not to. They asked him “Didn’t you see what became of the Woman who Searched?” His answer? No. He had not seen what had become of the woman, and neither had anyone else. She had decided to search through the forest, for what, only she knew, and she was swallowed by the darkness. No one knows what became of her. No one knows what happens to those who left the path.

Now he was no longer a child. He was a young man, and he had finally understood why the woman had searched. Now he was searching, though he did not know what he searched for. He only knew that it could not be found in that path everyone so desperately clung to, afraid to even lift their eyes from the lifeless grey soil directly in front of them. All his life he had been led to believe that that was the only way, the only path. But recently, he had been experiencing things that the others did not seem to experience, or at least were too afraid to mention: he believed these things were called “Dreams”.

So now, the Man who Dreams was dashing through this forest shrouded in uncertainty like a leopard across a wide open plain. He often tripped or crashed into obstacles. Some barely hurt, others hurt him badly. At first, these obstacles frightened the young man. He had never had to deal with obstacles so unpredictable before; the ones on the path all had solutions or other people who had already done the same thing before him had left behind clues. Here, in this forest that seemed to be ever-changing, there were no hints, no clues, and no predecessors.

This made him wonder: Had he ever really done anything before now? Had he ever made an impact? The man kept running, kept dreaming, and eventually a clearing in the forest appeared in the distance. He ran towards this clearing, and then he saw--could it be?--yes! It was light!

The man ran despite having lost his breath long ago, despite the numerous cuts and bruises that still stung, because right now, he didn’t care. He wanted to search, he wanted to dream.

Suddenly, the same ghoulish, dark, claws that had taken the Woman who Searched reappeared from the foggy darkness behind him. They rapidly approached him, again sinking their claws into his arms, legs, abdomen--anything they could reach. Despite his fear and pain, the Man who Dreams kept running.

He was now sure of what he was running towards. Now, he had exited the forest and the land before him led uphill towards a cliff that overlooked the Ocean. Oh, what a wondrous sight! He had never experienced such a thing before. The sky here was a bright clear blue, with the sun shining. There was lush green grass, and an myriad of colorful plants he had never seen before. The air smelled of life.

But the hands still chased after the young man. They had stretched outside of the forest, so many of them--perhaps hundreds. The man kept running towards the cliff, and suddenly, he didn’t even fear the hands anymore. They began to dim and wither in the bright sunlight of his resolution, his hope, his Dream. One by one, the ghostly figures began to die off, disappearing into the air, perhaps overwhelmed by the radiance of the man’s dreams. Or at least, he liked to think of it that way.

He ran, now only a couple hundred feet from the cliff. He knew what he had searched for, and he no longer had any resentment or regrets left. The few surviving claws of darkness still pursued him without rest, as though agitated that a person had escaped their grey illusions of “society”, “stability”, “order”, “success”…Reality.

The Man who Dreams had reached the end of the cliff…and jumped. He soared through the fresh air high above the blue expanse of the sparkling sea, allowing the Wind to carry him. He closed his eyes, and from his shoulder-blades sprouted a pair of brilliant white wings, their feathers glistening in the sun. He began to fly, and he opened his eyes and laughed and cried at the same time. He reached higher and higher up into the sky, confident that he could reach his Dream. Confident that after all he had conquered, after all the struggles and torture he had endured, and all those who had tried to discourage him--all the naysayers could say whatever they wanted! Just look at him now!

Just try and tell me it’s worthless now! Just try and take this away from me! Try and take it! You can’t! You can never take this from me! It’s a part of me! You called me ignorant, naïve, arrogant, childish, and foolish! What do you have to say now, now that I soar above the clouds over the great blue?! Try to deny it! Try to deny ME! Can you deny ME? What’s wrong? You were all so loud before, you all seemed so content to crush me, mold me, and make me fall back in line! Now I’ve chased this Dream! To find life, and pursue my own path! The Sun has shone its brilliant light upon me! And I made it out alive…and I wouldn’t trade it for a thing!

“You proved us wrong. You proved us wrong.” He could almost hear them say.

I’ve learned what I desired, I have reached my Dream, I have renewed my existence, my being--MY LIFE! All I have learned, felt, and experienced will keep my spirit soaring above the skies…for Eternity.

At that moment, a pair of hands forcibly tore his wings from his back, streaks of blood following the feathers through the air. He began to plummet towards the Ocean, and he knew. He fell towards the Ocean with a smile on his face, the tears on his face stinging his eyes--or was that perhaps just the salty air?

Now, the time has come to unite as One. May the soothing cool blue Ocean accept me and wash away my pain.

The Man who Dreamt splashed headfirst and was immersed in the stream of consciousness, where he could Dream eternally alongside all those who had dared to Dream while his spirit and legacy continued to soar above the clouds.  

Author's Note

Please read and tell me what you think! I hope you enjoy it. If the story makes you think, then share any thoughts you had while/after reading!
PS: Please also read "The Forest", which is connected to this and comes first. It's only one page, so it won't take long!